The other side of fear

March 16, 2015

” Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

- George Addair

Fear is a signal that you are venturing into new territory, taking a chance, moving out of your comfort zone. Working through the fear is the only way to get to the ‘other side’. Fear is the unnamed barrier to most great ideas and innovations that are never implemented.

Fear has many disguises and pseudonyms:

Analysis paralysis:

the need to run the numbers one more time

the need to ask a few more people what they think

the need to be sure – one more time – that all the legal i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed

Denial [another form of paralysis]:

resolving today’s problems overrides working on tomorrow’s solutions – day after day

the wrong people for the job

not enough money

Battle fatigue and self-doubt:

worn down by the inability of others to see the potential

or the unwillingness of key stakeholders to buy-in

lack of support from family

the never-ending question: is it me, my vision, my communication abilities – or am I in this with the wrong people?

Hunkering down:

the tendency to focus on how to protect what you have today, instead of moving ahead to achieve your passion

It all adds up to fear of pulling the ripcord – failure to act to put your vision into motion.

Not all ideas are great – or implementable – or timely.

If you have done a reasonable amount of analysis and due-diligence,and have uncovered no compelling, valid reasons to immediately redesign, delay or table the idea… the decision is clear: